BAT attack foiled along LoC, two Pakistani soldiers killed
Srinagar, Dec 31: A major Border Action Team (BAT) action has been foiled along the Line of Control (LoC) in Naugam sector of Jammu and Kashmir by killing two intruders who are "likely Pakistani soldiers", the Army said Monday.
"Army foiled a major BAT attempt to strike a forward post along the Line of Control in Naugam Sector in the early hours of Sunday," an Army spokesman said.
He said the intruders attempted to come in by exploiting the thick jungles close to the LoC and were assisted by heavy covering fire of high calibre weapons such as mortars and rocket launchers from the Pakistani posts.
"The movement was nonetheless detected by the vigilant Indian Army troops deployed along the LoC," he said.
The spokesman said the fire-fight initiated by Pakistan was given strong retaliation by the Indian Army and the exchange of fire continued the whole night.
"Own troops conducted prolonged search operations in thick jungles and difficult terrain conditions to ascertain the situation, which confirmed elimination of two likely Pakistani soldiers and resulted in recovery of a large cache of warlike stores. The search operations are still underway in the sector to sanitise the area," he said.
He said it was also reported that a few other intruders managed to escape across the LoC, taking advantage of the Pakistani firing and adverse weather and visibility conditions.
"Intruders were wearing combat dresses like Pakistani Regulars and were carrying stores with Pakistani markings further reinforced the assessment. Some intruders were also seen in BSF and old pattern IA dresses as part of deception," he said.
The spokesman said the intruders were well equipped with IEDs, incendiary materials, explosives and a plethora of arms and ammunition.
"From the recovery, it was estimated that they intended to carry out a gruesome attack on the Indian Army forward post in Naugam sector. The alertness and resilience of the own troops, who engaged and neutralised the intruders, thus eliminated a likely treacherous attack on the Army forward posts along the LoC on the eve of New Year," he said.
Army authorities have applauded the courage and perseverance of troops, the spokesman said, adding the Indian Army's resolve to keep a strict vigil along the LoC and defeat all such nefarious designs of Pakistan will continue to remain firm and consistent.
"We will ask Pakistan to take back the mortal remains of deceased likely Pakistani soldiers since Pakistan did provide full covering fire support to these intruders," the spokesman said.
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19-yr-old woman found hanging from tree in UP village; juvenile held
Lucknow/Pratapgarh (UP) (PTI): Police have apprehended a 16-year-old boy for his alleged involvement in the rape and murder of a 19-year-old woman whose body was found hanging from a tree in a village here, officials said on Monday.
Additional Superintendent of Police (West), Brijnandan Rai, said that the body of a 19-year-old woman was found hanging from a tree in an orchard in the Manikpur police station area on Sunday morning. A post-mortem examination subsequently confirmed that she had been raped.
Police registered a case against unidentified persons under sections 103(1) (punishment for murder) and 70(1) (gangrape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and initiated an investigation.
During the course of the investigation, the police found that the deceased was in contact with a juvenile who was also her relative.
Acting on this information, during a joint checking operation, sub-inspector Amit Kumar Singh of Manikpur police station and SOG In-charge Amit Kumar Chaurasia, along with their team, apprehended the 16-year-old near the Lehdari Ganga River bridge.
The search for other accused persons is ongoing, police said.
According to the police, the woman had gone to sleep after dinner on Saturday night but was found hanging in an orchard nearly 400 metres away from her home the following morning.
Additional Superintendent of Police (West), Brijnandan Rai, had earlier said that the circumstances suggest foul play.
"The victim's slippers and undergarments were recovered 50 metres away from the spot where the body was found. There are visible injury marks on her body," Rai said.
While locals have alleged that the woman was murdered after being raped, the ASP said that it is "prima facie a case of murder."
"Based on the complaint filed by the victim's brother, a case of murder has been registered against unidentified persons," the officer added.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, in a post on X in Hindi on Monday, said, "The news of the heinous murder of a Dalit daughter in Pratapgarh is deeply tragic and condemnable."
"The question remains: why does the spate of murders of 'PDA daughters' continue unabated in Uttar Pradesh? Are the BJP government's claims regarding women's safety merely hollow rhetoric, or is there, in fact, discrimination even in the provision of security for women?" he said.
"Whenever the 'wandering Honourable (ghumantu maananiye)' finds a moment of respite from election campaigning, he should cast a glance at the plight of the daughters of his own Uttar Pradesh. In any case, apart from injustice and oppression, no sister, daughter, or mother of this state holds any hope from you," Yadav added.
